Best States for Business, North Carolina is #2! - Charlotte, NC

Americans want change. They are fed
up with real personal incomes barely climbing each year and with the
share of unemployed and underemployed workers still north of 10%.

But there are parts of the U.S. that are thriving thanks to strong
workforces, low business costs and pro-business regulatory environments.
With that in mind, Forbes embarked on its annual look at which states
have the best business climates.

Forbes’ Best States for Business ranking factors in 40 data
points across six main areas: business costs, labor supply, regulatory
environment, economic climate, growth prospects and quality of life.
Business costs, which include labor, energy and taxes, are weighted the
most heavily. We added several new criteria this year, including the
number of millennials as a percent of the population. We relied on 14
data sources.

North Carolina moves up one spot to rank second, and North Carolina is
the only one to appear in the top five every year of our Best States
study. North Carolina has the smallest union workforce in percentage
terms in the U.S., which keeps costs down. Labor costs are 10% below the
national average and fifth lowest in the U.S. The state also boasts a
strong labor force and business-friendly incentive, legal and regulatory
environments.

North Carolina attracted more new facilities and expansions in 2014 than
any other state. The influx has continued in 2015 with multiple major
expansions. Novo Nordisk announced plans in August to invest more than
$1 billion for a bio-manufacturing facility and more than double its
workforce in North Carolina with an additional 700 jobs.